Synthesis of optically active polymers using P-chiral bisphosphines as anionic initiators

Anionic polymerization of triphenylmethyl methacrylate was performed by using P-chiral bisphosphine initiators. According to the optical rotation analysis and circular dichroism measurements, the polymer obtained by using the initiator (S,S)-1,2-bis(boranato(tert-butyl)methylphosphino) ethane exhibited one-handed helical conformation induced by the chirality of phosphorus atoms in the polymer terminal. The enantiomer (R,R)-1,2-bis(boranato(tert-butyl)methylphosphino) ethane gave the opposite one-handed helical polymer. Optically active bisphosphine (S,S)-1,2-bis(boranatomethylphenylphosphino) ethane was employed for the helix-sense-selective polymerization of triphenylmethyl methacrylate in order to obtain the polymer with the same helix sense as the polymer obtained from the initiator (S,S)-1,2-ethane bis(t-butylm-ethylphosphineborane). Further, removal of the coordinated boranes and complexation with platinum(II) on the chiral phosphorus atoms were carried out in order to yield the corresponding polymer-platinum(II) complex without loss of its chiral higher-ordered structure.